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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24618037">Back to Zero</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultimate_Nerd_Lady/pseuds/Ultimate_Nerd_Lady'>Ultimate_Nerd_Lady</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Zero, Super Dangan Ronpa 2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Otonashi meeting the sdr2 cast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:07:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,067</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24618037</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultimate_Nerd_Lady/pseuds/Ultimate_Nerd_Lady</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She doesn’t know where or who she is but this island is full of strange people.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Back to Zero</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>She was sinking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sinking into what.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Despair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That’s bad.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was it? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course it is. Don’t be ridiculous.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then why… why did it feel so comforting? She wanted to fall through it, forever and ever and ever and ever and ever-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Look in front of you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl started, and looked in front of her. Not below. In front. She was standing. Was she standing before? She couldn’t recall. But she could see a door. Her mind pushed her closer to the door, before she was up against it. But why was this door here? She tried to search her mind for a reason she was here…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t remember? Upupupu! Well you’ll find out soon. Don’t worry.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then she fell forward and screeched as the door opened, to…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa! What the hell!” She heard a boys voice shout.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked up and her eyes fell upon a sea of people giving her concerned eyes. Standing above her was a boy with a strange spike in his hair. He was definitely a protagonist type.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um…” she stood up and brushed herself off “Hello!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh hey, some new people.” A girl with a camera noted. She was directing her smile more towards her than the boy. “What are your names?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… I’m Hajime Hinata. I’m a new student at Hopes Peak.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Another new student…” A girl with silver hair noted. She noticed how she was the only person sitting by the boy with a ridiculous baby face “The pattern continues. What about you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… my name is… is… um…” she couldn’t remember. “Wait. What is Hopes Peak? And who are you people? And… who am I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I’ve heard of this!” A Caucasian girl clapped her hands together “It’s called ‘amnesia’!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whoa…” a girl who had clearly customized her uniform said “Then how do we find out about her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps we can start with this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A boy with white hair who… looked unwell strolled up to her. Corpses looked more lively than this guy. She wouldn’t be surprised if the arms under his jacket were completely bone thi-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wait. How do I know what corpses look like?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She then noticed him pick up a notebook that was in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ryoko Otonashi’s memory journal.” He read the cover aloud and held it up to her “Is this yours?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh thank you!” She smiled taking the notebook back. She flipped through the pages and it all started coming back. “That’s right! I am Ryoko Otonashi! I always forget things, but I remember by writing in this notebook! Thank you so much for helping me remember!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay that’s everyone!” A voice behind the desk gave way “Welcome everyone to your time at Hopes Peak!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then it appeared. A stuffed rabbit. A defiance of logic. Something that made no sense! Well, it wouldn’t be boring for a moment-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What do you define as boring?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What… what did she… she was lost in her head in that question as the bunny rambled on in its lecture. Then the walls fell down around her and she saw…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A tropical island?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>How did she get here? And who were these other people? She stood breathless and dumbfounded… then screams erupted as the protagonist knelt down having what was clearly a panic attack.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An animalistic instinct kicked in. The instinct to kick him and laugh at how pathetic he was. But she stopped herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What was that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just make sure you collect all the Hope fragments.” The rabbit, who she believed had called herself Usami ensured “Well, off I go!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ryoko looked around at the gaggle of confused faces, all viewing each other for a sense of what to do. Who were they again… who was she?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She noticed the cover of the memory journal and it all came flooding back. Right. She was Ryoko. But who are these people…?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Calm down you lot.” A man who looked like he was ridiculously rich- or maybe just dressing up to look rich- said “We’re all Hopes Peak students are we not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right. Hopes Peak. Wait. She flipped through her journal looking for Hopes Peak. A school for the talented. And her talent was… ultimate fashionista!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait… why did that have a note next to it saying ‘cover’?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s start by introducing ourselves to each other.” The boy with white hair suggested “That might be the first step to earning these ‘hope fragments’ Usami talked about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was that. Ryoko held her notebook to her chest and opened it, taking a pen out of her pocket she instinctively knew was there. Then she approached a short girl with pink eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi! Who are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl stared in silence for a few moments. Blinking. For a moment, Ryoko wondered if she had said her name and she forgot but then the girl started speaking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Chiaki Nanami. My special talent is gaming. I’m a fan of all genres.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. You like video games.” She echoed. “I wonder if I’ve played any.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can’t remember playing any video games?” Chiaki looked at her emotionless “That sucks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she walked away. Ryoko frantically scribbled her name and her notes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Appears sheltered. Does not have a good grasp of communication.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next person she bumped into was some guy who looked… very into his emo phase.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Egad! Stand back mortal! You could’ve crumpled away at the poison!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What poison?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The poison that flows through my veins!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Poison can’t flow through your veins.” Ryoko frowned “You’d be dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe any mortal but not Gundham Tanaka! The one who will rule this world!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Uh-Huh.” Ryoko recorded his name in the notebook with a little note that said ‘crazy’ but… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The world. The world…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You will send the world into despair.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gasped and caught her breath, her mind doing everything it can to bury the memory of what she just thought underneath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fwahahaha! Terrified of my power I see?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um…” Ryoko looked up at the guy. She was talking to him right? “Who are you again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well that was a mistake. Walking away from his hissy fit, she bumped into the baby faced boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Watch where you’re going bitch!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Who are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boy smirked and spit on the sand. “I’m Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu. Heir to the Kuzuryuu clan. So don’t expect me to be making friends and shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay…” she recorded his name “And what is the Kuzuryuu clan exactly?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Are you making fun of me bitch?!” He grabbed her shirt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow… you have a lot of unchecked rage.” She noted “It’s like you’re compensating for something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why I oughta-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!?” The red camera girl stepped up to them and pulled Fuyuhiko away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t touch me!” He shouted “Whatever. This girl ain’t worth shit anyways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that he turned and stormed off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh. Boys can be so rude.” She glared at his retreating figure before turning back with a smile “I’m Mahiru Koizumi. Nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Mahiru. Got it.” She wrote it down “I guess you’re a photographer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah!” She smiled “I love taking pictures of smiles.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... Just smiles?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s what I like.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ryoko finished scribbling her notes and turned away. “Got it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Ryoko!” Mahiru ran up to her “Is that it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… what else is there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s Ibuki!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ryoko yelped as she noticed the girl who customized her uniform- so her name was Ibuki- standing in front of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi. I’m Mahiru.” The girl introduced while Ryoko scribbled her name down “What’s your talent?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only the master of music! Powerful ears and groovy beats! That’s Ibuki!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you perform for us?” Mahiru asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Ryoko said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why nooooooooot?” Ibuki whined.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You specialize in screamo right? I can tell by your clothes.” She frowned “I don’t like screamo. It hurts my ears. From what I can remember anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be like that. I’m sure Ibuki’s music is very nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t wanna…” she whined covering her ears “I gotta get out of here!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She ran away hearing Mahiru ask “What’s her problem?” Before she bumped into rich dude.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey who are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man said “My name is Byakuya Togami.” With a stream of confidence. A confidence so potent she was certain it had been rehearsed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that an important name or something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm… I see your amnesia is genuine.” He noted “Otherwise you would know the Togami name. Our corporation rules the world.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Destroy the world-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh… Mr Byakuya? Can you not say that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... is something wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. Yes? I dunno…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well if you have any problems, come to me.” He instructed “I won’t let them go unsolved.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Thanks.” She said. But… she kind of doubted it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um… excuse me…” a meek voice came behind them and Ryoko looked around to see a girl with uneven hair. Given her weak disposition, it seemed like bullies cut it off. “My name is… Mikan Tsumiki. I hope from the bottom of my heart that we get along.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... I’m Ryoko.” She said “Nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow… nobody’s ever said that to me before.” She giggled “Thanks…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If anyone mistreats you, come to me.” Byakuya said immediately. Ugh. Savior complex. She had to get out of here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Scribbling their names she next bumped into two people having an arm wrestling match on the sand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Move it. I’m trying to beat Nekomaru right now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on Akane! Show more SPIRIT than that! Engage in the world around you!” Nekomaru shouted “I’m NEKOMARU NIDAI! The Ultimate Team Manager! Let me hear your scream of passion!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um…” she held her journal to her chest “Aaaaaaaaaaah…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“NOT LIKE THAT! LOUDER!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She screamed until a tree was knocked over by her shouting. Everyone was staring at how loud she got. And keeping her face covered in embarrassment she ran to the one person who wasn’t staring- a very short girl with a childish appearance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi I’m Ryoko!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m Hiyoko.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Our names rhyme you know!” She had now completely forgotten the embarrassing incident “Ryoko! Hiyoko!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“More like Hiyoko and screams a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... What are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Are you stupid?” She glared “Here I am killing crabs and you come trying to kill my brain cells with your stupidity. Maybe you can do everyone a favor and die.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... I can’t do that. But I’ll leave. Since I already don’t like you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked away hearing Hiyoko shout insults and went up to the next people. “Hi. I’m Ryoko.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! The amnesiac!” The caucasian girl smiled “We have a ninja and an amnesiac! This is turning into a j-drama!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not a ninja.” The silver haired girl remarked. “My name is Peko Pekoyama. I am a swordswoman. Not a ninja.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am Sonia Nevermind! The Ultimate Princess!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re white.” Ryoko said blankly. “Got it. Peko, you’re a swordswoman?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I have trained very hard for my one purpose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... What is that purpose?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm…” Ryoko made a notice about that in her notebook and a space for theories “Okay. I have two people left.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walked to the white haired boy who found her notebook.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi I’m Ryoko.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aha! We’ve already been aquatinted! But Ms Ryoko! What’s your talent? I didn’t see you on the forums!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m…” she flipped through the notebook “The Ultimate Fashionista!” She looked down “But apparently that’s a cover for something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well whatever it is I’m sure it’s brimming with hope if it had to be kept hidden! You should be proud Ryoko! It’s incredible!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hope huh? That sounded…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Disgusting.” She said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“H-huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing. Nothing.” She handwaved “But… is that everyone?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She showed him her name page in her notebook.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It seems to be all of them.” He noted “Except for him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ryoko looked over at protagonist lying on the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think… something is horribly wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well yeah. He shouldn’t be passed out silly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No… the way he reacted. It seems like it was the backlash of… something.” She noted “This island… I think there’s a sinister reason why we’re here. Not sinister intentions. Just a sinister reason.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What kind of reason?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“... I don’t know.” She admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>But I’m excited to find out. Upupupu…</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She paused in her tracks, and ran across the island. Something was wrong with this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something was wrong with </span>
  <em>
    <span>her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
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